LIMPERG234_00069

GEGANIZATION- 55
cumstanees give more than a very small portion of his
time to the business. Only men who were not only
strong and able, but also good fighters, had been able
to survive as the immediate subordinates of the father.
Under his strong rule they worked harmoniously to­gether;
but when the son's inattention loosened the
bonds of Discipline, they fell to fighting among them­selves
to the damage of the business.
Evidently this was a case of fundamental inefficiency
due to the lack of an adequate first link in the Chain
of Command, the Commander-in-Chief himself.
Of course, this lack cannot exist in the first genera­tion
of control; but the notorious fact that an Ameri­can
business seldom survives three generations of
management by the same family, indicates that it is
very common where managements have been inherited.
In any case, it is absolutely incompatible with effi­ciency;
and any family that has inherited a business
would be wise to ask itself, without any attempt at
evasion, whether it has also bred a monarch capable of '
ruling its kingdom. If it has not, it had better with- i it't-, •,
out delay convert itself into a constitutional monarchy, I ^
choose a capable prime minister in the shape of a gen- / '^'' f-^'
eral manager fit to run the business, allow him to
govern, and be satisfied itself merely to reign.
There is a majestic example of the success of this-'l i
policy on the scale of world-wide empire; but there is /
so much tendency for the Pepins to make themselves
kings, that the incompetents would probably do well to : '
sell out and put what is left of the estate into govern- •
ment bonds.
The function of the Commander-in-Chief, or General
Manager, evidently is to deal with his immediate sub­ordinate
commanders. Also, that is about his limit.

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GEGANIZATION- 55
cumstanees give more than a very small portion of his
time to the business. Only men who were not only
strong and able, but also good fighters, had been able
to survive as the immediate subordinates of the father.
Under his strong rule they worked harmoniously to­gether;
but when the son's inattention loosened the
bonds of Discipline, they fell to fighting among them­selves
to the damage of the business.
Evidently this was a case of fundamental inefficiency
due to the lack of an adequate first link in the Chain
of Command, the Commander-in-Chief himself.
Of course, this lack cannot exist in the first genera­tion
of control; but the notorious fact that an Ameri­can
business seldom survives three generations of
management by the same family, indicates that it is
very common where managements have been inherited.
In any case, it is absolutely incompatible with effi­ciency;
and any family that has inherited a business
would be wise to ask itself, without any attempt at
evasion, whether it has also bred a monarch capable of '
ruling its kingdom. If it has not, it had better with- i it't-, •,
out delay convert itself into a constitutional monarchy, I ^
choose a capable prime minister in the shape of a gen- / '^'' f-^'
eral manager fit to run the business, allow him to
govern, and be satisfied itself merely to reign.
There is a majestic example of the success of this-'l i
policy on the scale of world-wide empire; but there is /
so much tendency for the Pepins to make themselves
kings, that the incompetents would probably do well to : '
sell out and put what is left of the estate into govern- •
ment bonds.
The function of the Commander-in-Chief, or General
Manager, evidently is to deal with his immediate sub­ordinate
commanders. Also, that is about his limit.